Objective: To determine whether children with borderline pathology have a s
pecific pattern of neuropsychological risk factors. Method: The subjects we
re 94 school-age children in day treatment, divided into borderline (n = 41
) and nonborderline (n = 53) groups according to results of the Child versi
on of the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines. All children were assessed
with the Child Behavior Checklist, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and
Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, and a neuropsychological battery. R
esults: Children with borderline pathology had abnormal scores on the Wisco
nsin Card Sorting Test and on the Continuous Performance Test, both of whic
h suggested problems with executive function. although borderline pathology
was highly comorbid with conduct disorder, most results were independent o
f this comorbidity. Conclusions: Borderline pathology in children has a uni
que pattern of neuropsychological risk factors that may reflect a diathesis
for this syndrome.